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The Role of Gender in Employment Competitiveness in Applied Universities

Author

Listed:
  • Chen Lei

    (Qingdao Hengxing University of Science and Technology, China)

  • Connie Shin @ Connie Cassy Ompok

    (Faculty of Education and Sports Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia)

Abstract

Employment competitiveness among university students is widely recognized as a critical indicator of the quality of higher education and the effectiveness of talent cultivation. It reflects not only students’ career development and realization of personal aspirations but also broader family and societal expectations. This study investigated the role of gender in employment competitiveness in applied universities. Adopting a descriptive survey design, the research involved 1,227 third- and fourth-year students from Hengxing University, a private application-oriented institution in Shandong Province, China. Data were collected using a validated instrument titled An Empirical Study on the Improvement of College Students’ Employability Based on University Factors, which demonstrated a high reliability coefficient (α = 0.995). Descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests were employed at a 0.05 significance level. The findings revealed a high overall level of employment competitiveness among students (weighted mean = 4.44) and a statistically significant gender difference (t(1225) = 2.899, p = 0.004), with male students scoring higher than their female counterparts. Consequently, the null hypothesis of equal means was rejected, indicating that gender has a measurable effect on employment competitiveness in applied universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen Lei & Connie Shin @ Connie Cassy Ompok, 2025. "The Role of Gender in Employment Competitiveness in Applied Universities," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 9(9), pages 4991-4999, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:9:y:2025:issue-9:p:4991-4999
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    3. Connie Shin & Musirin bin Mosin & Jusiah Idang & Noraina binti Noraidi, 2025. "Effects on early mathematics of a program using games, picture books and worksheets," Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, Conscientia Beam, vol. 13(2), pages 618-641.
    4. Silvia Saccardo & Aniela Pietrasz & Uri Gneezy, 2018. "On the Size of the Gender Difference in Competitiveness," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(4), pages 1541-1554, April.
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